EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 ALMATY 003211

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR ISN/ECC PVANSON, ACHURCH, JGABRYSZEWSKI
DEPT FOR ISN/ECC-AMT LSPRINGER
DEPT FOR EUR/ACE RBUCK
DEPT FOR SCA/RA JSCHLOSSER
DEPT FOR SCA/CEN MOMARA
CBP/INA FOR BWATT AND CDONOFRIO
USDOE/NNSA TPERRY, CWALKER, EDESCHLER
DOC FOR DCREED AND GPETERSEN-BEARD
USCG FOR BGOLDEN
AMEMBASSY BERLIN FOR CUSTOMS ATTACHE
AMEMBASSY TASHKENT, BISHKEK, BAKU, DUSHANBE AND ASHGABAT
FOR EXBS ADVISORS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: ETTC MNUC PARM PREL KSTC KNNP KZ
SUBJECT: EXBS: KAZAKHSTAN ADVISOR'S MONTHLY REPORTING
CABLE (AUGUST 2006)


I. BROAD ITEMS OF INTEREST TO ADVISORS AND AGENCY MANAGERS:


1. EXBS TDY Advisor Larry Adkins continued to assist
the EXBS office in Astana throughout the month of August.
Gulnara Abildaeva, EXBS Program Coordinator, took annual
leave for much of the month.


2. September will likely be the EXBS program
office's final month in its present interim facility. The
move into the new embassy is now expected to take place in
early October. In preparation for the office's move to the
new facility, EXBS program staff has ordered new computers
and a high-quality printer. The office has also completed
the grant paperwork required to donate surplus furniture
and computer equipment to the Border Control Management
Faculty of the Almaty-based Military Institute.

II. COMPLETED ACTIONS FOR THE REPORTING PERIOD


A. SITE ASSESSMENTS AND MEETINGS CONDUCTED


1. August 11 - Advisor Offenbacher and TDY Advisor
Larry Adkins met with Victoria Sloan, the embassy's Public
Affairs Officer, to discuss the Voluntary Visitor Program
(VVP). The EXBS office has been asked to propose a U.S.
visit to Askar Shakirov, Chairman of Kazakhstan's Customs
Control Committee; the VVP appears to be the best fit.


2. August 24 - Briefed Deputy Assistant Secretary Evan
Feigenbaum on the EXBS program during a country team
meeting.


B. TRAINING DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD


1. The Department of Energy/National Nuclear
Administration's (DOE/NNSA) International Nonproliferation
Export Control Program (INECP) held a Commodity
Identification Training (CIT) course for Customs personnel
from August 7-11 in the southern Kazakhstani city of
Shymkent. This was the second time the indigenized version
of the CIT course has been presented; the pilot run was in
March of this year. The training was conducted by
instructors from Kazakhstan's Institute of Atomic Energy.


C. EQUIPMENT DELIVERED DURING THE REPORTING PERIOD


1. None.


D. IMMINENT TRAINING OR EQUIPMENT STATUS UPDATE


1. Fast Response "Safe" Boat parts: Replacements for a
faulty air conditioning circuit card and a defective
voltmeter were delivered to Almaty in late August and are
in the process of being forwarded to Astana.


2. Two $400,000 task orders have been developed for
the procurement of four modular shelters and 11 high-
clearance Ural trucks that will be provided to Kazakhstan's
Border Service. The trucks and shelters will be purchased
and delivered in the coming months.


3. On September 6-8, the EXBS program's Larry Adkins
and Andrew Offenbacher traveled east from Astana to
Sherbakty and Kosak, two ports of entry in the neighboring

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Pavlodar region, to assess customs and border control
procedures, as well as inspection techniques and equipment.


4. A Second Line of Defense (SLD) team of three will
arrive in country on September 12 to meet with Customs
representatives and then embark on a survey of a number of
ports of entry along Kazakhstan's southern border. The
U.S. team will be accompanied by a Kazakhstani Customs
official and representatives of companies involved in the
portal monitor installation effort. The EXBS program
office is the embassy point of contact for the SLD Program
has coordinated the visit with the Customs Control
Committee.


5. Administrative Enforcement (AE) project meetings
are scheduled for September 27-29, in Astana. The goal of
the meetings is to meet with technical experts from the
Customs Control Committee to begin drafting AE training
materials, and set target dates for course completion and
instructor training.


6. The DOE/NNSA's INECP will hold a workshop on export
controls for biological research institutes from October 3-
5, in Almaty. The workshop's goal is to ensure that the
institutes understand and comply with Kazakhstan's export
control regulations.


7. The DOE/NNSA's INECP will conduct a regional
Internal Compliance Program workshop in Almaty from October
31 - November 2.


8. EXBS Program Coordinator Gulnara Abildaeva will
attend the second annual EXBS Program Workshop for Locally
Employed Staff in Bratislava, Slovkia from October 31 -
November 1.


9. From November 6-17, a Department of Homeland
Security/U.S. Customs and Border Protection team will
conduct a border survey at a number of ports of entry in
several Kazakhstani regions sharing a border with the
Russian Federation. The team will draw on the United
States' border security experience to provide Kazakhstan's
Border Service with recommendations on how to more
effectively monitor, secure and protect Kazakhstan's
borders against the WMD threat.


E. SIGNIFICANT DEVELOPMENTS IN EXPORT CONTROLS,
NONPROLIFERATION, OR RELATED BORDER SECURITY


1. None.


F. CASPIAN SECURITY INFORMATION


1. None.

III. RED FLAG ISSUES.

None.

The point of contact for this report is Andrew S.
Offenbacher, EXBS Advisor, OffenbacherAS@state.gov, tel:
+7(3172)58-08-90, cell: +7(333)225-1156.

ORDWAY